Bracknell RFC 26
Tries: Miranda 39; Boys 45; Woodrow 71; Schofield 79Conv: Radford (3)
Jersey RFC 28
Tries: Wilson 9; Whitson 32; Van Breda 65, 68Conv: Penberthy (4)HT: 7-14Attendance: 350Player of the match: Scott Van Breda
PLAYER-coach Scott Van Breda fought back from an inglorious first-half yellow card to score two tries as Jersey RFC secured a nail-biting win over Bracknell.
Alongside Van Breda’s player-of-the-match showing, Aaron Penberthy converted all four tries, while tighthead prop Tom Wilson and captain Evan Whitson both scored in the first-half.
The bonus-point win was particularly impressive given the circumstances that befell the St Peter’s side, with the game moved from Bracknell’s plush grassy surroundings of Lily Hall Park – which had frozen over – to the artificial pitch at Maidenhead’s suburban Braywick Road ground.
Jersey RFC fought against the odds with very little warm-up time and three yellow cards to wing Bevan Biggs, Van Breda, and No.8 George Willmott. Despite the circumstances and the freezing conditions at kick-off, any question marks over the effect it would have on Myles Landick’s side were quickly dispelled as the black-shirted islanders started strong and showed a clear physical and line-speed edge over the green-shirted Berkshire side.
Jersey’s scrum won a penalty in the seventh minute, and from the ensuing left-sided lineout second-row Max Ayling linked up with Penberthy and Van Breda as the ball moved quickly cross-field. Biggs and Willmott went into contact before Penberthy set up Wilson for the prop to power over between the sticks in the ninth minute.
Bracknell fought back immediately, but the ‘home side’ were stymied by Jersey’s shrewd defensive work and a number of handling errors. Winger Luke Schofield went on a mazy run, but Jersey’s scrambled defence just held him out.
After several penalties, Biggs deliberate knock-on against Oliver Radford earned the winger a yellow-card.
Despite being a man short, Jersey created a fantastic break just shy of the half-hour mark, with inside-centre Dan Barnes pulling in the attention of two defenders to open up Van Breda on the right wing, but the ball fell into touch.
Jersey got their just rewards a few minutes later. A quick line-out led to Penberthy producing a silky cross-field chip, wing Lance Armstrong secured the ball and with Barnes running a false line the No.11 ran inside, slipped the ball to Whitson who dived over right of the posts.
The mainlanders had two driving-mauls which couldn’t gain traction against Jersey’s juggernaut, but after a string of penalties and a bloodied Van Breda sin-binned during a maul defence, Bracknell went for a quick tap penalty with prop Jasper Miranda muscling over on a second pick-and-go.
With a short half-time break and Jersey a man light, Bracknell utilised the advantage, getting deep into Jersey’s territory before whipping the ball wide to outside centre William Massingham who set-up Sam Boys and the winger powered over Barnes and Armstrong in the right corner to level the match.
Tom Bulfin came on for Armstrong, and once back up to full complement Jersey played smart, leaning on their ever-reliable set-piece.
Despite a scrappy left-sided line-out from eight metres out just after the hour-mark, Jersey put together several phases, gained a penalty advantage and were within inches of the line three times before scrum-half Max Harrington whipped the ball right to Ayling and Van Breda for the South African to canter over on the right.
Three minutes later, Jersey doubled their lead. The Islanders enjoyed a lovely flow of passes, Biggs broke through several defenders on the right, before the ball was threaded left and Bulfin threw wide to Van Breda – missing out hooker Jack Macfarlane – and the full-back cascaded inside two defenders to slide over on the left.
Willmott saw yellow for illegally taking out an opponent in the 72nd minute and Bracknell fought back.
The Berkshire side spent several minutes deep in Jersey’s territory before a tap-and-go five metres out saw their forwards put together several phases before replacement forward Matthew Woodrow wriggled over left of the posts.
The game became end-to -end once more, then Bracknell pressed deep in Jersey’s territory and moved cross-field quickly through Radford and full-back Jake Findlay, who found Luke Schofield at pace on the left, the winger getting the better of Wilson and Barnes to score emphatically in the left corner.
But Bracknell’s cheers were muted as Radford’s conversion to level the game sailed wide while the clock ticked red.
The win keep’s Jersey second in the Regional 1 South Central table, ten points behind London Welsh with a game in hand.
Bracknell [15-9; 1-8]: Jake Findlay, Samuel Boys, William Massingham, Oliver Radford, Luke Schofield, Matthew Outson, Alexander Frame; Jasper Miranda, Bradley Walters, Jake Hodge, Ruairi Henderson, Manasa Cakau, James Wright, Samuel Dunks, Thomas Scott . Replacements: Matthew Woodrow, Joel Gardner, William Field
Jersey RFC [15-9; 1-8]: Scott van Breda, Bevan Biggs, Dylan Stocks, Dan Barnes, Lance Armstrong, Aaron Penberthy, Max Harrington; Jake Bates, Jack Macfarlane, Tom Wilson, Max Ayling, Bryn Edwards, Tom Tilstone, Evan Whitson (c), George Willmott. Replacements: George Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Tom Bulfin
